Transformation

Bestore implemented flexible, scalable online ordering solutions based on SAP Hybris B2C Commerce. Now, even on Singles’ Day, Bestore can meet the needs of all its customers, boosting profitability.

Results

Handles

peak volumes easily

Raises

order fulfilment capacity

Captures

customer data for better business optimization

Business Challenge Story

Singles’ Day surges in demand

Customers expect online stores to be available 24/7, supported by super-fast delivery, regardless of peak workloads, such as Singles’ Day in China. Bestore, a leading Chinese online food retailer, faced exactly this challenge.

Yang Hongchun, Chairman of Bestore, explains: “The annual Singles’ Day festival in China is one of the busiest shopping days in the world. In 2014 we had around 350,000 orders which put considerable pressure on our IT systems. For 2015 we expect over 1.1 million orders. We’re excited to set this new record, but we want to be sure that the performance of our customer-facing systems and back-office infrastructure won’t be compromised.”

Bestore realized that in order to successfully deal with high-volume situations like Singles’ Day, it needed to transform its approach to data processing. Existing systems simply could not handle the volume of transactions, and in many cases manual business processes made it impossible to increase capacity.

“We knew that we wanted to work with IBM—only by partnering with the best can we become the best. ”

—Yang Hongchun, Chairman, Bestore

Transformation Story

Digital reinvention

The company soon realized that an integrated approach for all its sales channels could remove many of the peak workload challenges by eliminating manual work and automating the sales, ordering and logistics processes. From website to warehouse, Bestore looked to create an easy-to-use customer-facing solution fully integrated with the back office, and quickly concluded that SAP Hybris Commerce for B2C and SAP ERP solutions were the best fit for making this digital reinvention a reality.

The SAP solutions offered the scalability, reliability and efficiency that Bestore needed to build an omni-channel platform.

Yang Hongchun comments, “To help architect, deploy and implement the solution, Bestore chose IBM Services. IBM offered a combination of business, SAP and retail expertise, helping to ensure that the project ran smoothly, and is also providing continuing support through after-sales consulting. We knew that we wanted to work with IBM—only by partnering with the best can we become the best.”

A suite of SAP ERP applications support Bestore’s business processes, underpinning core activities such as order processing and customer services. The SAP solution also seamlessly integrates with the company’s existing applications for inventory, sales, finance, logistics and human resources.

The combined effect is that Bestore enjoys a clearer view of its operations than it has ever had before, and even at times of massive workload, every order is processed successfully.

With reduced administration effort and cost, the Bestore team is able to focus more closely on developing new products, helping the company develop new processes and services, slashing time-to-market and staying ahead of the competition.

Additionally, with an integrated view of operations from manufacturing right through to customer purchases, Bestore is looking to truly realize big data-driven operations to fine-tune its operational efficiency.

Yang Hongchun concludes: “Already, the improved insight into our business is helping our leaders to better coordinate operations. We now have the peace of mind that we can successfully handle any volume of customer requests at any time, protecting our business and boosting profitability.”

About Bestore

Headquartered in Wuhan, China, Bestore is a leading player in the online food retail industry. Specializing in producing and selling snacks, Bestore employs more than 8,000 people and serves thousands of customers across the country.

Solution Components

IBM Global Business Services

IBM-SAP Alliance

GBS BCS EA - SAP

GBS AD&I - EA - SAP

Take the Next Step

To learn more about solutions from IBM and SAP, please contact your IBM representative or IBM Business Partner, or visit the following website: ibm.com/sap